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“I’ve seen this before. When I was a kid, I’d suffer what I’d only realize later were night terrors. And every time I did, I saw it. Bending it’s neck to fit through a doorway. Curled fingers running along the frame. Six, seven, eight feet tall. Always bigger and meaner than the last time I saw it.”

Director Jeremy Herbert explains the real-life terror of his childhood nightmares, the inspiration for his short horror film The Childish Thing. Premiering at Nightmares Film Festival 2017, the 30 minute film from Dangerous Days Productions stars Morgan McLeod, Jenson Strock, Deven Fenn and Anna Gallucci. It follows Jack, who has lived in the same home since birth. The house is filled with memories, including the death of his older brother. When it comes time to leave the house, he is left alone for the weekend to pack up his childhood belongings. Here he discovers painful memories of the ‘Boogeyman’ who haunted his nightmares as a child, and a guide written by his five year old self on how to finally defeat it.

Herbert’s first film was the award winning horror-comedy Killer Deal, focused on an estate agent who rents haunted cabins to hapless renters. The Childish Thing brings the same cast and crew – mostly a close group of friends – back for a horror film with a more serious tone.

Herbert describes the film as being inspired by ‘gateway’ horrors; such as Poltergeist and hit Netflix show Stranger Things. “No blood. No power tools. Only the occasional four letter word.” the director explains. Instead, the short will communicate a more personal story, with quiet scares and a more offbeat tone.

You can check out a gallery of stills from The Childish Thing, as well as the newly released trailer below. To keep up to date, follow Herbert on Twitter.